State of our Roads 2014 Department of State Growth Contents Introduction 2 Inventory – The State Road Asset 3 Tasmanian State Road Hierarchy 4 Traffic – All Vehicles 5 Traffic – Trucks and Commercial Vehicles 7 Road Pavement Age 9 Road Seal Age 10 Bridge Age 11 Roughness of Sealed Roads 13 Rutting of Sealed Roads 15 Surface Cracking of Sealed Roads 17 Finance 19 State of our Roads Published November 2014 STATE OF OUR ROADS 2014 CONTENTS 1 Introduction The State of our Roads 2014 report provides a summary of the condition of the State road network at a point in time. The report summarises data and trends relating to the condition, use and performance of the State road network. State Road Strategic Direction This report isn’t intended to provide a description of the strategic and practical approach to the The Transport Infrastructure Services Division of management of the State road network or how the Department of State Growth is responsible Transport Infrastructure Services uses data in its for managing the State road network on behalf of decision making processes. the Minister for Infrastructure and is committed to Information relating to the strategic approach for providing efficient road infrastructure and services for development and maintenance of the network can be our customers and visitors that: found in the following documents: » are as safe as reasonably possible; » Tasmanian Infrastructure Strategy » support economic growth through responsible » State Roads Infrastructure Service Policy investment; and » Tasmanian Road Safety Strategy 2007-2016 » enhance the travelling experience for road users. » State Road Hierarchy » State Road Infrastructure Asset Management Policy » State Roads Infrastructure Strategic Asset Management Plan STATE OF OUR ROADS 2014 INTRODUCTION 2 Inventory The State Road Asset Road Category (a) Road Length (b)(c) km Number of Structures Sealed Unsealed Total Culverts Bridges Other Total 1 454 0 454 166 174 25 365 2 428 0 428 76 51 1 128 3 725 0 725 133 162 1 296 4 853 0 853 90 119 0 209 5 1,025 248 1,273 123 118 1 242 Total 3,485 248 3,733 588 624 28 1,240 (a) Category 1 roads are the most strategically important grading to Category 5 roads which are the least strategically important. (b) Road Length is the distance in one direction (i.e. not considering dual carriageways or ramps). (c) Of the 3,733 kilometres of road length, 645 kilometres are located in urban areas and 3,088 kilometres are located in rural areas. STATE OF OUR ROADS 2014 INVENTORY 3 Tasmanian State Road Hierarchy Currie • • Grassy Whitemark Lady Barron Stanley Smithton Marawah Wyny ard Gladstone Bridport • BURNIE George Town DEVONPORT Bell Bay Ridgley • Scottsdale Ulverstone Beaconsfield Latrobe Lilydale Ringarooma Railton St Helens Sheffield • Waratah LA UNCESTON Deloraine Savage River St Marys Mole Creek Longford Fingal Corinna Cradle Mountain Rosebery Poatina Avoca Melba Siding Zeehan Bicheno Campbell Town Miena Ross Queenstown Derwent Swansea Strahan Bridge Tarraleah Oatlands Bothwell Ouse Triabunna Hamilton Orford Campania Pontville Richmond Maydena New Sorell Strathgordon Norfolk • HOBART Dunalley Kingston Huonville Nubeena Kettering Port A rthur Geeveston Cygnet Alonnah Southport Tasmania has a road network covering approximately Category 1 - Trunk Roads 24,000 kilometres. The State road network consists Tasmania’s primary freight and passenger vehicle roads of 3,733 kilometres of these roads and comprises Category 2 - Regional Freight Roads Tasmania’s major regional roads for carrying the most important and heavily used transport heavy freight infrastructure in Tasmania. To plan and manage this Category 3 - Regional Access Roads network within a clear and strategic framework, The main access roads to Tasmania’s regions, carrying less heavy freight traffic than Regional Freight Roads Transport Infrastructure Services Category 4 - Feeder Roads has developed a five-tier hierarchy: State roads that provide connections between towns, major tourist destinations and industrial areas Category 5 - Other Roads The remainder of the State roads STATE OF OUR ROADS 2014 HIERARCHY 4 Traffic All Vehicles Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT) is a measure of the average number of vehicles using a section of road each day. AADT is based on periodic counts of all vehicle types on defined road segments having a relatively constant traffic volume along their lengths. Main Features » The State roads with the highest recorded levels of use in 2013 were: the Tasman Highway » Between 2003 and 2013 the use of State roads (reaching a maximum of about 66,000 AADT has grown by 7.5% at an annual compound rate over the Tasman Bridge); the Brooker Highway of 0.7%. (about 52,000 AADT between Risdon Road » In 2013 use was greatest on Category 1 roads. and the Domain Highway); the Southern Outlet This graded to least on Category 5 roads and Highway (34,000 AADT between Kingston and is consistent with the parameters used for Mt Nelson); and the East Tamar Highway (30,000 determining road classification. AADT at the Charles St Bridge). » Between 2009 and 2013 most of the traffic » Between 2003 and 2013, permanent road growth was on Category 1 roads while the other counters with large numerical increases in AADT categories have shown small fluctuations from were: Midland Highway near South Launceston year to year. (increase of about 6,000 AADT); the Tasman Highway near Cambridge Park (increase of about » While most permanent traffic counters have 5,000 AADT); the Tasman Bridge (increase of recorded increases between 2003 and 2013, about 3,000 AADT); and the Bass Highway over some counters in rural areas have recorded Victoria Bridge in Devonport (increase of about decreases. 2,000 AADT). STATE OF OUR ROADS 2014 TRAFFIC 5 Traffic All Vehicles Stanley Smithton Marawah Wynyard Gladstone Bridport BURNIE George Town DEVONPORT Bell Bay Ridgley Scottsdale Ulverstone Beaconsfield Latrobe Lilydale Ringarooma Railton St Helens Sheffield Waratah LAUNCESTON Deloraine Savage River St Marys Mole Creek Longford Fingal Corinna Cradle Mountain Rosebery Poatina Avoca Melba Siding Zeehan Bicheno Campbell Town Miena Ross Queenstown Derwent Swansea Strahan Bridge Tarraleah Oatlands Bothwell Ouse Triabunna Hamilton Orford Campania Pontville Richmond Maydena New Sorell Strathgordon Norfolk HOBART Dunalley Kingston Huonville Traffic 2013 (AADT) Nubeena Kettering 15,001 to 65,000 Geeveston Cygnet Port Arthur 10,001 to 15,000 Note: King Island and 5,001 to 10,000 Flinders Island are not 2,001 to 5,000 Alonnah 0 to 2,000 shown as data is not Southport regularly collected. Average Traffic Volumes by Road Category Statewide Average Traffic Volumes 10000 3000 9000 2900 8000 2800 7000 2700 6000 2600 5000 2500 AADT AADT 4000 2400 3000 2300 2000 2200 1000 2100 0 2000 1 2 3 4 5 Road Category 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 STATE OF OUR ROADS 2014 TRAFFIC 6 » Some of the factors causing the change in truck Traffic Trucks and and commercial vehicle numbers which have had Commercial Vehicles local and system-wide impacts are: » Decrease in woodchip exports; » Decrease in seaport throughput since the peak Vehicles are counted as trucks and commercial of 2004-05; when the wheel base has a length greater than 3.2m » Transfer of container handling from Bell Bay to between the axles or has more than 2 axles. Cars Burnie; towing trailers are excluded. » Rail decreasing its market share of heavy freight; The Average Annual Daily Truck Traffic (AADTT) » Changes in agricultural production, in particular is a measure of the average number of trucks and increases in milk and salmon production; commercial vehicles using a section of road each day. It does not indicate the carrying capacity of trucks or » Rationalisation of regional landfill at Copping the amount of freight carried over roads. in the South and Dulverton in the North-west; and The AADTT is based on periodic counts on defined road segments having a relatively constant traffic » Increasing demand for deliveries by commercial volume along their lengths. Network and category vehicles, particularly in urban areas. AADTT are derived by averaging the AADTT of road » Consistent with the above observations, Category traffic segments. 1 roads have had most of the growth in truck use. Main Features » Truck traffic is greatest on Category 1 roads and grades to least on Category 5 roads and » Between 2009 and 2013 the volume of truck this is consistent with the parameters used for traffic has been relatively constant. determining road classification. » In the longer term, between 2003 and 2013 the » Category 2 roads in rural areas have shown average truck use of the State roads grew by consistent decreases in truck traffic volumes. 8.2% at an annual compound growth rate of 0.8%. » Category 3, 4 and 5 roads have shown small variations in truck use from year to year. » Between 2003 and 2013, most of the permanent traffic counters recording decreases in trucks and commercial vehicles were in rural areas while most of the increases were on the Category 1 highways. STATE OF OUR ROADS 2014 TRAFFIC 7 Traffic Trucks and Commercial Vehicles Average Truck Traffic by Road Category 1200 1000 800 AADT 400 200 0 1 2 3 4 5 Road Category 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Stanley Smithton Marawah Wyny ard Gladstone Bridport BURNIE George Town DEVONPORT Bell Bay Ridgley Scottsdale Ulverstone Beaconsfield Latrobe Lilydale Ringarooma Railton St Helens Sheffield Waratah LAUNCESTON Deloraine Savage River St Marys Mole Creek Longford